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How does losing health insurance affect disability claims? Evidence from the Affordable Care Act's dependent care mandate

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  • Michael Levere
  • Heinrich Hock
  • Nancy Early

Abstract

We estimate the impacts of losing access to parental health insurance on Supplemental Security Income (SSI) participation, focusing on the age‐26 limit for dependent coverage. We analyze the age pattern of SSI claims to develop counterfactual predictions that assume no change in access to insurance. Relative to this prediction, we find a 3.4% spike in SSI applications in the months immediately surrounding the 26th birthday, along with a slightly smaller increase in awards. These claims are primarily motivated by losing coverage; there might be more direct ways to address unmet insurance needs without also increasing reliance on cash payments.

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  • Michael Levere & Heinrich Hock & Nancy Early, 2021. "How does losing health insurance affect disability claims? Evidence from the Affordable Care Act's dependent care mandate," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(5), pages 932-950, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:hlthec:v:30:y:2021:i:5:p:932-950
    DOI: 10.1002/hec.4226
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    1. Levere, Michael & Hemmeter, Jeffrey & Wittenburg, David, 2024. "The importance of schools in driving children’s applications for disability benefits," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 239(C).

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